


Forevermore

by neurobeing



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Canon Divergence, Completed, Crying, F/F, F/M, Fighting, Kissing, Lesbian Relationship, Minor Original Character(s), Near Death Experiences, Original Character(s), Slut Shaming, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26330308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neurobeing/pseuds/neurobeing
Summary: At age 10, Cedric Diggory promises the reader forever. Alas, fate is tested when Cedric chooses to put his name in the Goblet of Fire.  Months of turmoil and pain change the relationship that the two friends once shared. This story is filled with angst, love, pain, joy, and everything in between.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Reader, Cho Chang/Cedric Diggory, reader/oc
Comments: 5
Kudos: 58





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Written by me and the lovely @/randomoutsiders on Tumblr. The story is also posted there on her account!

“How long do you think forever is?” You questioned, turning your head to peer at the ten-year-old boy beside you. 

“I dunno. A really long time, I guess.” The air was crisp, biting angrily at your exposed ankles as the atmosphere began to dim. The splintered pine underneath you was digging dents into your skin, water lapping at your sand-ridden toes. 

“Do you think we’ll be friends forever, Ced?” Your gaze shifted again to focus on the school of fish swimming beneath your feet. 

The sandy-haired boy pulled his shoulders up into another shrug, freckled fingers curling into the edge of the dock as he aimed to get another look at the vibrant creatures below the water’s surface. “I guess so. Forever’s a real long time.” He repeated, momentarily releasing his hold on the sodden wood to rub away the goosebumps that had covered his flesh. “But I wanna be.” 

You nodded in agreement, shivering at the sudden chill that had settled over the two of you. “You promise?” Your voice was meek, quieted by purling water at the shore. 

Cedric turned to look at you, freckled cheeks dimpling as a smile tugged at the corners of his chapped lips. “Yeah, I promise.” 

“Even when you finally get your letter to Hogwarts?” 

His expression transitioned into that of a sour one, eyebrows furrowing to illustrate dissatisfaction. “What do you mean when I get my letter? You’re sure to get one. ‘M not gonna go if you’re not.” 

You released a sigh, leaning back until your back was met with hardened wood and you could gaze up at the orange-hued sky. “I dunno, Ced. We’re not the same. You know that. ‘Course I know what you are because you’re, y’know, my best friend, but my mum and dad aren’t like yours. We’re different.” You simpered, bleary eyes blinking away the anxious tears that had blurred up your line of vision. 

You couldn’t bear to meet his gaze, but you could feel it boring holes into the side of your cheek. You were stoic, waiting for his response. 

“Just because they’re different doesn’t mean you are.” The boy mused, twisting anxiously at his fingers as he attempted to quell your woes. He was merely a boy; he was still unaware of his feelings. 

You pursed your lips, still refusing to spare the poor boy a glance as you mulled over the next words you wanted to utter. “Even if you go, and you will go-” You interrupted his attempt to argue. “You have to promise me that you’re still gonna write every day. And you’ll have to win every quidditch game. Ever.” You were propping yourself up now, bearing your weight on your elbows as you finally peered in his direction.

Tears were sheening over his pearly irises, and the sight pulled your young heart into the depths of your chest. You desperately wanted to assure him that you could get a letter, but in your heart, you didn’t know if you would. 

Cedric swallowed visibly, and he glanced back at the horizon, the sun disappearing fast. “I don’t wanna go if you can’t.” At the mere age of eleven, his heart was heavy with worry and love. 

You shrugged, pulling your sandy knees up to your chest, resting your cheek on the hardened bone. “We have all summer to be together. It’ll be alright. Promise.” 

Cedric didn’t respond right away, teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh on the inside of his cheek. “And you won’t forget me?” 

A short giggle fell from your lips as you looked over at your best friend. “I don’t think I could ever forget you. You’re pretty bloody annoying, y’know.” You teased the boy, rising to your feet as Amos began to call for his boy. 

Cedric was quick in following you, careful as the two of you walked over the cracks in the dock and back onto the plush grass that led to his backyard. He took a few seconds to respond, but he finally did. “You’re going to get a letter.”


	2. Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day that Cedric puts his name in the Goblet of Fire, which happens to be the day he loses the love of his life.

“Y/n, wait!” You’re practically sprinting through the hallways, maneuvering your way through disgruntled students and into the stairwell. 

Cedric’s words fall upon deaf ears as you thunder up the steps, your grip on your belongings tightening considerably. You’re fully aware that the lanky male is bound to catch up to you; you’ve played this game before. 

“Y/n, please! Don’t be like this!” He yells again. He’s always been so hard to ignore. 

Your head is swimming. Your train of thought has gone off the rails and is now a wreck in your mind. Cedric has always been good. He has always been kind and smart and brave and everything good in the world. So why now is he deciding to be reckless? Why would he risk his safety for glory? 

You’re so close to the common room. He yells again. This time, your head is filled with such hot anger that every outside noise seems to be insignificant. Just one hallway to go and then you can be left alone in your dormitory to cool down.

Then there’s a hand on your arm that turns you around.

He has always been faster than you. Always used to beat you in childhood races. Always one step ahead, metaphorically and physically. 

“Y/n,” He says. “C’mon.”

Your face suddenly gets hot and it isn’t from anger. Cedric’s hand is on your arm. You’re staring in his eyes. You suddenly wish you could count all the freckles on his face. 

“The Triwizard Tournament is a once-in-a-lifetime chance."

Then you’re angry again.

“How could you be so stupid? Why did you put your name in the cup?” You spit out. Thankfully it’s your lunch hour, so no students are roaming the halls to witness your outburst.

“It’s not like I’m guaranteed the spot, y/n/n. Hundreds of students are applying. I probably won’t even be picked. There’s nothing to worry about.” 

“There is so much to worry about!” You whisper-scream. “What if you do get picked? What if you get hurt? What if you--” You cut yourself off, shocked about what you intended to say.

What if you die? The words seem to crash through your trainwreck thoughts and ring in your head. Cedric and you have always talked about forever. You two have promised each other to stay together forever. To stand by each other. To love each other. Always and forever. 

Suddenly the idea of forever seems silly and juvenile. Forever is a childhood fantasy made up by two children who loved each other so passionately that they could not bear the idea of being apart. Now everything seems too real. You’re living in a war. The Dark Lord is back or so they say. Death is lurking around the corner and is waiting to strike. Death won’t pick and choose between people like Cedric and people like Voldemort. It will just mercilessly take and take again. Who can guarantee forever?

“Y/n, you’re a thousand miles away!” Cedric laughs as he waves his hand in front of your eyes as if making sure you’re paying attention. His laugh seems improper compared to your suddenly macabre thoughts. “What’s going on inside that pretty head?” He asked solemnly, his laugh fading. 

Your thoughts of anger turn sorrowful. There are so many what-ifs. So much could go wrong. Cedric could go into the Tournament and never come out. What would you do then? What if he promised forever and only gave you these seventeen years? 

“I just-” You stammer, struggling to find your words. “You’re my best friend,” You say plainly. The true tragedy here is that that is all you are. Best friends. “And I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I care about you. I love you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

They’re words you have said a million times before, but they somehow feel more significant now. Maybe he would hear that.

“And I love you,” He says, slinging an arm around your shoulder the way best friends do. “I’ll be fine, you know that. I always am.” 

Your lips downward into another scowl. What he always is, is reckless. Thinking with his heart instead of his head. You push away his attempt at an embrace, attempting to lull back the tears that are threatening to fall. 

“You can’t just promise me forever and make decisions like that, Ced.” You murmur under your breath, pulling your arms up to cross over your chest. “You can’t-” Your breath catches in your throat. “You can’t promise me forever and sign away your life to some stupid game.” 

“That’s just it!” Ced cries out from behind you, still talking to your back. “It’s a game, y/n. Just a game. I don’t understand why you’re getting all upset over this.” 

It takes a few seconds to determine what you want to say next. You want so desperately to scream at him until tears are pouring down your cheeks out of mere frustration, but the other part wants to give up and attempt to see his side of the story. 

But there’s great difficulty in such. You pull your bottom lip between your teeth and turn to meet his gaze once again. “I need some space.” You don’t say anything else, brushing past him and up the stairs that lead to your dormitory. 

The seventeen-year-old stands there in complete awe, unaware of how he’s supposed to respond, jaw ajar with surprise. You’re in your room, practically collapsing on your mattress as worrying thoughts plague your scrambled mind. The train crash has grown to be momentous, crowding every space in your head until mangled screams are practically tearing from your throat. 

You don’t know how it’s gotten to be this bad. Your consistent worry for this boy has slowly grown bigger and bigger over time, and with this reckless decision, it has grown to be too momentous. It has pushed you over the edge. 

Cedric rubs his hand across his lips, truly wondering whether or not he had made the right decision. He’s conflicted, as he wants to aid his father from a financial standpoint, but then again, from a realistic point of view, there’s a very slim chance of him actually being selected.

But it’s not just his father he’s worried about. He wants to impress you. He wants you grinning from ear to ear with pride for his success, and he wants to celebrate his win with a celebratory kiss. 

Oh, how this boy wants to kiss you. 

He wants to soothe your worries, hold you in his arms, and make you feel better. He wants to finally spill the words that have been growing heavy on his tongue for years on end. 

I love you. 

He feels so utterly powerless and it has anxiety bubbling in the pit of his stomach, pulling bile into the back of his throat. He swallows it back, straightening his soft gray sweater, and squaring his shoulders. 

It would be better to give you some space, he thinks. To allow you to collect your thoughts and to better think about the given situation. He wants so badly to be able to go back and think about it one more time before he made that decision. 

The topic of the Triwizard Tournament had been a short one between the two of you, and thus when he had put his name into the cup, he hadn’t felt the same worry that was racking his brain right now. 

But as he had previously stated, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In realistic terms, he is more than capable of winning. He’s at the top of all of his classes, captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team, prefect for his house. 

A sigh falls from his lips, and he finally moves to go upstairs. He needs his own space to think.

At breakfast the next morning, you can’t even bear to look at him. You’re sitting beside some friends of yours, picking idly at the food on your plate, but not consuming anything. Cedric walks in with a few of his own friends, laughing at something they’ve said, and it makes you sick to your stomach.

How could he so carefree in a situation such as this? You scowl, turning away from him and turning your attention back to the conversation you were supposed to be having with your roommate Alice.

But you can’t. You can’t focus on anything except on him.

Regardless of whether or not he had made that utterly stupid decision, all you can think about is Cedric. His smile, his laugh, his freckles, his all-around perfectness.

Of course, you have a crush on your best friend. It’s the classic teenage cliche. Everyone loves Cedric. You know that if he went to a random girl and asked her out she would say yes. So why would he even settle for you?

“Y/n,” Alice, your dorm-mate says quietly. “Don’t look now, but Cedric is staring at you.”

Your back faces away from the Hufflepuff dining table, where you usually spend your meals with your best friend. Alice is sitting across from you, giving her the perfect view of Cedric.

You roll your eyes. Last night, after you had gone up to your dorm, you had expected him to follow you and beg for your forgiveness. Alas, he never did. You decided then that if he was going to give you space, then you will give him space.

“What happened between you two anyway? You always sit together,” Alice asks, bringing you back to the present.

“He put his name in the Goblet of Fire and now I’m mad at him,” You tell her, putting it simply.

“Oh, yeah, I was there, everyone clapped,” Alice speaks so casually it makes you angry.

You feel a sudden spark of anger towards her. “Why didn’t you stop him? Do you know how dangerous the Tournament is?”

“Calm down, y/n. Cedric is tough, even if he does get picked he could handle it.” Alice seems so calm, it’s as though she’s talking about the weather.

“Why is everyone teaming up against me all of a sudden? Am I the only one who can see rationally? The Tournament is stupid and dangerous. Teenagers should not be able to sign up to risk their lives.” You could envision yourself going to the Headmaster’s office and strangling Dumbledore until he called off the games.

“I mean, the Tournament does bring some good things,” Alice says. Your curiosity is piqued.

“Um, hello? Have you seen the guys from Durmstrang? That big Romanian guy, I think his name is Alexander, he totally has eyes for you. I think he’s going to ask you to the Yule ball. I, myself, am more into Noelle from Beauxbatons.”

Alice’s sudden change in topic distracted you from Cedric. A boy from Durmstrang is going to ask you out? You forgot about the upcoming ball.

You straighten your spine, now sporting a small, but prideful smile. “Where did you hear that?” You murmur as if to seem less intrigued about the situation.

Alice snorts in laughter, shoveling a spoonful of her cereal into her mouth. “I didn’t hear it from anyone. It’s extremely noticeable. He hasn’t stopped staring at you since you walked in this morning.”

A blush quickly blossoms over your cheeks, and you turn to hide it. Alice notices, however, and is guffawing in mere seconds. “You’re ridiculous! You can’t date him! He’ll be gone in weeks. If you get emotionally attached, you’re practically done for.”

“What about Noelle, then, hmm? You can’t go ahead and date her.” You quip in contempt, twirling the metal fork in your grasp.

“Girls are different. They’re not big oafs who play with your feelings and then leave you high and dry. Feelings are involved. Love is involved.” Alice argues, shrugging her shoulders. “Either way, what’s the harm with a little fun?”

You’re barely listening to her now, your train of thought bouncing between the two males. Would it really be all that bad to make a move on Alexander? He’s not very bad looking, but no one would compare to Cedric. Physically or emotionally.

Despite your growing age, you and Cedric had remained attached at the hip ever since you did receive your Hogwarts letter. There were no secrets between the two of you, only complete honesty. However, now, with his chatter at the other end of the table, you don’t know what you’re missing out on. You don’t know if he’s telling you the truth.

The complete truth.

But, then again, you haven’t either. You can’t reveal the feelings that you’ve been harboring all these years out of the pure fear of destroying the friendship that you’ve had. Maybe Cedric’s secret is that he’s hated you all of these years and has just been playing along to make you feel good about yourself.

Cedric’s good like that. Making sure everyone around him is content and well-cared for. But it’s not enough.

Alexander could be fun. He could help you momentarily forget your woes and could bring some sliver of happiness into your life when Cedric gets hurt due to an irrational decision and you can’t bear to look at him.

You want the best for the boy. You want him to succeed and to grow into a wonderful man who is loved by all and truly changes the world. But with this Triwizard Tournament, you’re not so sure that that’s going to happen.

You’ve heard horror stories of past contestants who have been swallowed up, drowned, fallen from great heights, suffocated, and suffered from a multitude of other injuries.

It’s not just a game.

You release another sigh, rising from the hard mahogany wood and turning to look back at the Durmstrang boys, of whom are sitting at the Gryffindor table. “Y’know, Alice, if Cedric gets to have a bit of fun, I think it’s fair that I do as well.”

***

You look at the table you’re sitting at in the Library. You’re alone. One person taking up a four-person table. This is the first time you’ve studied alone on a Tuesday night, ever. Cedric hasn’t shown up like you’ve expected him to. Sure, you two are giving each other space, but did he really not show up to your daily scheduled homework time?

You stare at the paper in front of you. The Potions essay due on Friday is the last thing on your mind. You’re just starting the first sentence when you hear a voice.

“Y/n?”

You look up from your parchment. A broad-shouldered and squared faced man with tan skin stands behind the chair across from you.

Alexander.

“Can I sit?” He motions to the chair he stands in front of. He speaks with a thick Romanian accent that accentuates his deep voice.

You’re so shocked at his arrival that you lose the ability to speak and only nod.

He slides out the chair with the obnoxious sound of wood scraping wood. You hear Madam Pince shush him from her desk. Alexander smiles, showing no teeth.

“I was hoping to ask you something,” He says.

A million questions fly through your mind at once. Is he going to ask you to the Yule Ball? Is he worth going? What should you wear? He is very handsome, in the opposite way that Cedric is.

“Okay,” You say, more quietly than you intended.

“Would you go to the Yule Ball with me?” He asks, almost shyly. Could a man of his stature be shy?

Suddenly a crystal-clear picture of Cedric flashes through your mind. You make your decision quickly. You reach out and put your hand on Alexander’s.

“I would love to go with you, Alexander,” You smile.

Although you wouldn’t know until later, one bookshelf over from where you and Alexander are sitting, Cedric feels his heart shatter.

Who’s gonna be there to put back the pieces?


	3. Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Cedric and y/n's fight.

You flop onto your dorm bed, making the springs squeak, with intentions to sulk. 

This is the longest you have ever gone without speaking to Cedric. There’s a lot of chatter about the Yule Ball and you have not talked to each other in nearly a week. You miss him. You keep thinking of being the bigger person and going to him to apologize, but you want him to understand how you really feel about his self-endangerment. 

Alexander turns out to not only be foreignly handsome, but very chivalrous. He’s always opening doors and pulling out chairs for you. However, something about him seems off. He is so polite, that it seems to be _too_ polite. Cedric and you would beat on each other in the way that best friends do. You miss the casual fondness. 

The door of your dormitory slams open, pulling you out of your sulk. “Y/n!” Alice shrieks as if you’re not inside. You only grunt into your pillow as a response. 

“I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?” She asks as she flops down onto your bed beside you. You simply grunt again.

“Good news is that Noelle and I are going to the ball together!” She exclaims. 

“That’s good,” You say. You wish you could be more enthusiastic for her, you know how much Alice likes Noelle, but your heart had felt heavy all week. 

Alice starts rambling about how they plan to match red dresses. She talks of how _gorgeous_ Noelle is and how they plan to spend the summer together. Halfway through a soliloquy about Noelle’s long legs, Alice cuts herself off. 

“I didn’t tell you the bad news,” She says quietly, sounding strange compared to her previous shrills. 

You move your hand to tell her to continue. 

“Cedric is going to the ball with Cho Chang,” She says quickly as if the words burned her tongue to say. 

Your heart suddenly clenches. 

You shouldn’t be upset. You have no right to be. You had made the first move, and Cedric is now making his own in the game you both call life. 

But you’re furious. You’re distraught. You’re upset on every level possible and you have absolutely no right to be. There’s a pain that burns in the depths of your chest, and you cough, attempting to dispel it. “ _Oh.”_

Alice frowns, confused as to what you mean by the simple word, and your stoic expression makes it difficult for her to read you. “You alright?” 

“Fine.” Your answer is curt because if you speak any more, you’re _sure_ that you’re going to start crying. You can’t handle the emotional baggage that your tears are going to create. The best thing to do, at least in your mind, is to push the predicament to the back of your mind and forget it even existed. “I mean, good for him! I’m going with Alex and erm… we couldn’t go together. That would be absolutely ridiculous.” 

Alice shrugs nonchalantly, and it pangs at your heart that she’s unable to read your fake expression. Cedric would have been able to. Cedric can read you like a book, noticing even the smallest of frowns or signs of discontent. What makes him such a wonderful friend is that he aims to make sure that you’re happy at all times. 

The mere _thought_ of you being discontent has the lanky boy’s heart in turmoil. He only wants the best for you. 

That much was previously clear, but after he made such a careless decision, you aren’t so sure. It kills you; tearing you apart from the inside out. You want so _desperately_ to run into his embrace, talking of your woes and troubles until you both fall asleep together like you’ve done so many times before. 

But you’re stubborn. You refuse to do anything until Cedric makes that first move. A small voice chatters in the back of your head, reminding you of your utterly foolish decision, but you ignore it, allowing your eyes to flutter shut to conceal your tears as you run to the bathroom. 

You need your own space to breathe; to gather the scrambling thoughts that have made themselves at home in your mind. You wish it was all just a terrible dream, but it's a ceaseless nightmare that’s looming with every step. 

You spend a little bit in the bathroom, gathering yourself until you deem your appearance acceptable and you exit. Alice is still there, flipping through an old book that she found from your open trunk. “You alright?” 

She knows you’re struggling; she _knows_ that you’re distraught and you don’t know how to manage your feelings. She wishes she could do more than just sit there and ask if you’re ‘alright’ because she knows that you’re not. 

“Yeah.” You lie, sitting on your mattress and carding your fingers through your hair. “But _her?”_

You hate to admit it, but you’ve been jealous of their small friendship ever since the moment they met. Despite all your years behind you, their friendship always pulls your blood up to an angry boil, particularly because Cho has always been very flirtatious with the boy. 

You’ve had countless petty arguments with Cedric because of it, but each one always resulted in his assurance that _‘nothing was going on’_

This evidently proved otherwise. “Do you think he likes her, Alice?” You question meekly, heart heavy with sorrow. 

Alice doesn’t know how to respond, which is strange in comparison to her very chatty nature. “I dunno, probably not. ‘M sure the two of you would have gone if Alex didn’t ask you.” 

You’re scowling now, rising from the plush mattress. “Are you saying this is _my_ fault?” Deep down you know that it was your fault; you shouldn’t have accepted Alex’s offer to accompany him to the Yule ball. But that’s extremely difficult to admit. 

Alice opens her mouth to argue, but you’re already exiting. “Whatever. We’re going to be late to the ceremony anyway. And then I can kick myself for allowing this stupid fight to last so long when Cedric _doesn’t_ get picked.” 

Alice releases a deep sigh, following after you out the door and into the common room where Cedric and a few of his friends are chatting, about to exit the room to find the Great Hall. Your gaze catches the sandy-haired boy’s but you glance away before you can see the expression he’s wearing. 

You’re quick in brushing past them, uttering small apologies as Alice scampers after you, desperate to meet your fast pace. She knows why you’re going so quickly, but her stamina isn’t very happy about it. 

There are hundreds of students piling into the large room and it takes your breath away; you don’t know what to think. 

_Is Cedric going to be chosen?_ Is the one that dances in the forefront of your mind. 

***

The Great Hall is in an uproar. Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour have just been chosen as the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons Champions, now it is time for Hogwarts. The Goblet of Fire turns red, and your heart pounds even harder now. The Great Hall is deadly silent with anticipation. Flames shoot from the top of the Goblet and Dumbledore reaches to the top of them to grab the piece of parchment. 

“The Hogwarts Champion,” Dumbledore calls, “is Cedric Diggory!”

The cheers coming from the Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw tables are not enough to outmatch the cheers coming from Hufflepuff. Every Hufflepuff jumps to their feet, stomping, and screaming and clapping. You are the only person in the hall that is completely motionless. Cedric makes his way down the isles with a broad smile on his face. He walks until he disappears into the chamber behind the teacher’s table. 

The uproar has not stopped, even after Cedric leaves the room. Dumbledore waits for the room to settle down to resume speaking. 

Your heart is drumming loudly in your ears. _Is this real?_ You look down at your hands, trying to see if they really belong to you. You feel as if you’re dissociating, floating outside your body, and staring down at a version of you from an alternate reality. _There is no way Cedric was just chosen._

Before you know what you’re doing, you jump up from your table and run to exit the Great Hall. No one notices you over the celebration anyway. You find yourself sitting on the bottom of the marble stairs, with your head in between your knees and your arms wrapped around your legs. 

You hear footsteps coming your way. You pray that, whoever they are, they just walk past you and up the stairs. Then a voice with a thick Romanian accent says: “Y/N?”

You sniff in response, keeping your head ducked down. You don’t want anyone to see you like this, crying like a baby. You hear Alexander’s heavy footsteps come closer to you. You feel his body heat next to yours as he sits down. 

“I saw you run out of the Hall,” He says quietly, “Why do you cry?”

You tilt your head up, looking at his tanned-face through teary eyes. He puts his arm around you. Instead of pulling away, you lean your head onto his hard shoulder.

“Cedric!” You snap, your eyes water again. “That stupid, _stupid_ boy.”

Then you start to rant. You explain your trainwreck of thoughts to Alexander, and he listens intently to you. You explain how Cedric put his name in the Goblet of Fire and how he did not understand your concern. You rant about the games and how children should not have the option to risk their lives for money and glory. You wave your hands around frantically when your mind is moving too fast for your mouth to process. You rant about your roommate who does not understand you. You complain that no one listens to logic anymore. You cry about how Cedric promised you forever but you now realize that forever is impossible. 

By the time you finish your vent, the entire Great Hall has cleared out. It was now dark and silent, and only you and Alexander sat on the steps. You exhale loudly once more to express your frustration and then fall silent. Alexander shifts beside you. About halfway through your rant, you had forgotten he was there. 

“I’m sorry, you probably don’t even care about--” You start, but he cuts you off by pressing his lips firmly onto yours. You’re so startled by the sudden action that you freeze for a second and then you roughly push him away from you. His eyes are wide with shock at your action. You stand up sharply. 

“Are you fucking serious? ‘M crying and the first thing you can think to do is kiss me?”

“Y/n, wait, I--” Before Alexander can justify himself, you turn and bound up the stairs. 

“I was looking for consolation, not a fucking boyfriend.” You quickly add in as you disappear around into the next staircase.

***

You finally stepped over the threshold to your common room. You couldn’t bear to walk in right away, and you made the ultimate decision to wander around school grounds until you could gather your thoughts. 

However, after the day’s events, you’re ready to seek solace in your blanket and pillows. You’re about to go up the stairs leading to the girl’s dormitory when you see a familiar figure outlined by the dimmed fireplace that you have not noticed before. You step closer to him, ready to slap him across the face--

“I know you’re thinking of hitting me,” Cedric says, “Please don’t.”

You retract your hand, fingers curling into an angry fist as you straighten your spine and square your shoulders in front of your supposed best friend. 

“You were chosen.” Your voice is soft, muffled by the sorrow that plucks at your heartstrings. 

“Yeah.” He’s supposed to be happy. This is the moment to show you that he _can_ win the Tournament. That he’s worth more than some chivalrous Hufflepuff who’s going nowhere significant in life. 

But he’s not. He feels regret pooling in the pit of his belly for the stupid action he made. He’s come to the realization that your friendship is worth a lot more than some stupid competition. Your _relationship_ is more important. 

“Well…” You start, pursing your lips and crossing your arms over your chest. “Congratulations, I guess. ‘M chuffed. Really, I am.” You lie with a fake smile. 

Cedric finally turns away from the fire to see you. He sees the red lining your eyelids and it drops his heart into the depths of his chest. He sees the smudged makeup and the waterlogged irises and he wants to scream at himself for being the reason for your disheveled state. 

He’s proud of himself, believes he can truly win the Triwizard Tournament, but now he knows it’s not going to be enough to earn your forgiveness. 

“Say you do win, Ced.” You sniff, knuckling at your languid eyes as you continue. “Who am I going to be to you? You’ll be famous. Talk of the _fucking_ town and I’ll be here. A measly little Hufflepuff who never meant anything to you in the first place.” 

Cedric’s lips part to rebut, but he can’t find the words. It takes him a few seconds, and he swallows the lump that has formed in his throat. “That would _never_ happen. I could never forget you.” 

“You seemed to forget me when you asked Cho to the dance.” You spit angrily, your fists clenching. You wouldn’t ever hurt him, but you really want to. He deserves it. 

“Alexander asked you first! What did you expect me to do, go by myself? Course I wanted to fucking take you! You never gave me the chance!” The boy is standing up for himself now, standing his ground and fighting back. 

You’re taken aback, but you don’t let it deter you. “You could have at least talked to me about it! You know how I feel about that… that... “ You struggle to find the right word momentarily. “That skank!”

Cedric’s features morph into those of irate anger, something you have had yet to see. “Don’t you fucking say that. You have no fucking right. She’s a nice girl! She’s a _sweet_ one. She never did anything to deserve the way you’re talking about her now. If anything, I would say you’re the skank. Look at you running off with Alex after the ceremony! Can’t even wait five fucking seconds to shag the bloke! Can’t you just be _happy_ for me? For once?” 

Your face drops in agony. Both at the insult and the fact that he believes you’re not proud of him for all that he’s done. “Is that _really_ what you think of me?” 

Cedric scoffs, turning away from you again and facing the fire. “I don’t really know what to think of you anymore, y/n. You haven’t really been present in my life as of recently. You’re different.” 

It’s as though the devil himself has reached up from the depths of hell and now has your throat in its chokehold. You can’t breathe. Your face is flaming, with anger or despair, you don’t know. 

“Look who’s talking, hmm? Ever since you put your name in that bloody Goblet of Fire you’ve been a pompous prick who can’t seem to get his head out of his arse.” You’re aware that the words falling from your lips are completely false, but you have to say _something_ in retaliation. 

Cedric’s head drops, and for a brief second, you want to reach out, to hold him, to tell him that you’re sorry and that you didn’t mean it at all. That you were just mad. 

“At least I’m not going around shagging students left and right to make up for the fact that I’m not getting enough attention from Cedric _fucking_ Diggory.” His voice is quiet as if it will muffle the pain it brings. 

Tears are brimming your lids all over again, and all you can do is turn on your heel, bolting up the stairs and into your bedroom.

  
  



	4. Lies

You metaphorically dance around Cedric until the Yule Ball. You know his schedule, so you avoid the halls you know he’ll be in. In every class you share, you sit as far from him as you can. You don’t meet his eyes once. You don’t wear any of the Potter Stinks buttons.

Cedric has been popular after his name was chosen, so you’re trying not to notice how he’s hanging out with people you don’t know the names of. Maybe they’re his new friends. Maybe he has already replaced you.

“Y/n, tilt your head up more,” Alice demands, pulling you out of your melancholy thoughts. “And put a smile on your face, quit looking so mopey.”

“I’m not mopey,” You mope.

“My name’s y/n and I’m upset because Cedric doesn’t like me and a big Romanian guy does!” Alice says, mocking your voice. “Piss off, y/n/n.”

You sigh angrily. You want to retaliate, but she isn’t entirely wrong.

“Are we almost done? You’ve been vandalizing my hair for three hours,” You say.

“Um, I’ve actually been combing, brushing, teasing, picking, and spraying your hair for an hour and a half,” She corrects like it’s common knowledge. She tugs on your hair sharply. “The other hour and a half I was putting on layer after layer of makeup to get rid of your frown lines and make it look like you’re the slightest bit happy.”

“I look fine, can we just go now?” You want to get this night over with.

Alice remains silent and continues styling your hair with extreme force.

“Don’t want to keep Noelle waiting,” You nudge, knowing this will get Alice’s attention.

“You’re right.” She puts down all her hair-styling tools. “And you look pretty and, dare I say, less miserable. I think this is as good as it’s going to get.”

Alice and you leave the dormitory and make your way to the Great Hall, which has been transported into a winter wonderland. Alice rushes to Noelle, leaving you alone to search for Alexander. A small part of your subconscious hopes he doesn’t show up.

You turn, scanning the area when your eyes land on Cho Chang, who’s dressed in a beautiful silver gown. You would have simply skipped over her face if she hadn’t been arm-in-arm with Cedric. They are talking to Cedric’s new friends, not even noticing you.

“Y/n.” Your head whips around to find the owner. It’s Alexander. “You are… very beautiful.” His accent is thick as he speaks to you, and you can’t help the smile that stretches over your lips.

“Thank you.” You smile, leaning up to brush your lips against his freckled cheek. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

“I look bad?” He takes a step back, peering down at his attire with a frown pulling at the corners of his lips. His lack of practice with the English language is finally making itself known.

“No, no.” You laugh, placing a hand on his bicep in an attempt to console him. “I said you don’t look bad. You look very handsome.” You correct yourself with a small smile. Maybe his move on you was a mistake. Maybe he just read the situation wrong.

“I need you all to line up in the precession please,” McGonagall speaks, lulling your attention away from the handsome brute in front of you.

She’s speaking to the four champions, and as Cedric turns his back to you with Cho on his arm, you can feel your heart shatter. The shards dig deep; rendering you numb and unfeeling. That should be you.

“We, err, we should go in before they start dancing.” You murmur, sniffing audibly and grasping his large bicep in your arm. You tug him past the victors, hoping to catch one last glimpse at the sandy-haired boy’s face before you ignore him for the rest of the night.

You succeed, meeting his soft gaze, and you may be imagining it, but you can see regret swimming in those pearly irises of his. You want to tell him that it’s okay, that you forgive him, but you can’t. You won’t.

At this point, you’re sure that it’s not your stubborn nature but rather the anger that has been festering within you. If Cedric hadn’t said what he had, then you’re sure you would have been fine at this point in the game.

Thinking back, you’re appalled with the fact that the first task had already occurred. Your negative mindset had pulled you into a state where you had been completely unaware of what had happened around you. You had attended the first task, however, watching as Cedric conjured a measly dog from a rock to distract that deadly dragon, risking his life.

You remember seeing Amos, cheering for his only son with a beaming smile and bouts of laughter. You remember wanting to reach out, to say hello to your second father, wanting him to tell you that it’s okay and that his son was being a git.

But you had refrained. You sat back and you turned your gaze to the crowd of people cheering for the boy who you loved oh so dearly.  
Your little bout of remembrance is interrupted with the sound of music, and suddenly the champions are walking in. There’s stiffness with the way that Cedric walks with Cho; an awkward boundary that never existed between the two of you. Would it be the same now?

The music stops momentarily, but the silence is filled with excited chatter. You observe as everyone finds their place on the dance floor, as Flitwick positions himself on a tall pedestal and taps his wand. You watch as the music begins, Cedric’s hand finding both Cho’s hand and waist, and the sight alone is enough to pull bile up into the back of your throat. You want to hurl, and you turn away, and sadly enough, you’re met with Alexander’s muscled shoulder.

He’s bound to take it the wrong way. He’s bound to assume you’re seeking his comfort when all you want is to leave. You can’t do this. You can’t bear the sight of the love of your life dancing with another girl when that girl is supposed to be you.

Alexander’s sporting a smirk, large hand finding your waist and drawing you in close. “You look beautiful, frumoasă. Would you want to dance?” The tight grip he has on your torso prevents you from denying, and thus you nod.

What could go wrong?

Alexander pulls you out onto the floor and you start a choreographed dance: a simple waltz. His hand on your waist, your hand on his shoulder. He stares intently at you, maybe it’s your misery clouding your judgment, but he looks like a shark staring at a piece of bloody meat.

The Ball seems to last forever, the whole time you feel sweaty and claustrophobic. Eventually, Flitwick steps down from the podium and the Weird Sisters band takes over. As a mosh pit starts being formed, you take this as your chance.

“Alexander,” You say. “I don’t feel very good. I’m going to step outside for a bit.”

You leave no room for debate before you turn away from him and run out the Great Hall and into the Courtyard.

The Courtyard is covered in a layer of snow, making it look especially whimsical, but your mental distress is distracting you. There are carriages parked in the Courtyard. From them, you could hear giggles and laughs. One carriage was even rocking back and forth. You wish you had found a more private spot.

You sit down on a ledge, close your eyes, and try to let the cold air clear your mind.

Your first thought is of Cho Chang. Sure, she’s pretty. Sure, she’s nice. But she isn’t like Cedric. Cho isn’t loyal or passionate. A small part of you thinks you’re being too judgmental since you don’t even know her. It isn’t her fault that Cedric likes her.

You sense a presence beside you. You open your eyes to see Alexander.

“I worry about you,” He says, “You said you felt bad.” You think he’s being kind until he places his hand on your thigh.

His hand feels like a cinder block although it’s just resting there. You scoot away from him to send the message that he is making you uncomfortable. Nevertheless, his hand remains.

“Are you alright?” He asks, with a smirk that does not match his tone of voice.

“Erm,” You feel the claustrophobic feeling again, but now you’re outside. Suddenly the situation hits you.

You’re alone, outside, with Alexander. The sick feeling goes away and replaces itself with paranoia.

“Actually I--” You begin, but he leans in to kiss you, cutting you off. His kiss is rough and forceful, all-around unpleasant and unwelcome. You push him away.

“Alexander, I would appreciate it if you would ask to kiss me next time,” You say firmly.

“Can I kiss you now?” He asks, playing innocent. His hand still weighs on your thigh. His other hand creeps up onto your waist.

You scoot away from him until you’re pressing your back to the pillar. “No.”

He scoots next to you, putting one arm on the pillar behind your head and the other on your waist. Trapping you in his arms.

“What will you do if I do?” He asks, still smirking. A chill runs down your spine.

He doesn’t give you the chance to answer before his mouth is on yours again. His hand slides from your waist to your shoulder, nudging the strap of your dress off. His mouth trails from your lips to your neck.

You’re struggling, unable to wiggle out of his grasp due to his brute strength. His fingers trail downward once again, slipping under the slit of your dress, palm splaying against your bare thigh.

“Sod off!” You cry out, shoving the hefty male off of you when he’s stunned momentarily with your outcry. He’s left appalled as you run off, desperate to get away; anywhere but here.

Your primary thought is to find Cedric; to fall into his embrace and tell him of your woes regardless of the tension between you two. But you can’t. He’ll only think worse of you.

Your thoughts are cut off when your shoulder collides with that of another female, and when you glance over, you’re able to let out a sigh of relief. Tears are falling steadily, and your shoulders are racking with sobs. “A-Alice!”

Alice’s eyebrows furrow in concern, her small hands gripping your biceps gently as she leads you into the nearest bathroom to get away from the loud music and hectic mess of the Yule Ball. “What? What happened?” She croons quietly, brushing away the few strands of hair that have managed to escape her masterpiece.

“A-Alex..” You stutter, finding great difficulty in putting together words. “H-His hands… His l-lips… He kissed me!” You blubber, trembling with terror.

Noelle, of whom is beside your friend, doesn’t know what to say. On one standpoint, she doesn’t understand a lot of what is coming out of your mouth. But she wants to help. She understands that you’re upset. She reaches out, touching your arm gingerly.

“Deep breaths, darling, right? Take some deep breaths for me.” Alice coos softly, gently leading you to sit on the ground.

You try to obey, but the pounding of your heart is intensifying and it’s getting harder to breathe. Your line of vision is beginning to blur around the edges, and you can see black dots dancing in front of you. You can’t cease the shaking of your hands; it feels as though you have absolutely no control at all.

You want to cry. You want to scream. You want to do anything but you can’t. You’ve been rendered completely useless. In situations such as this, Cedric was always the one to lull you out of this state. But he’s not here. He might never be again.

Alice is smoothing her palm up and down the expanse of your back, murmuring quietly to you, trying to calm you down. Noelle steps forward, pushing her hands into your palms. “Lines,” She murmurs, taking one of your fingers and tracing it over the lines in her palms.

It redirects your attention, temporarily distracting you until you’re able to calm down.

It takes a while, but soon enough, you’re able to regain your vision. You take that as a sign of recovery, and you slowly begin to feel a little bit more in control.

Minute after minute, you’re able to regain a little bit more mobility, and soon enough, you’re breathing normally again.

“He kissed me. He kissed me and slid his hand up-” Your breath catches in your throat. “I dunno how I got away. If I hadn’t, and I don’t know what I would have done. I don’t know what he would have done.”

You’re on the verge of tears again, but you manage to hold back. “I want Ceric back.” Your voice cracks, and all of a sudden, your fingers have become a lot more interesting to look at. You can’t tear your gaze away from them.

“I know darling, but you have to move past him, yeah? You’ll find somebody new, I promise.” She croons, sitting beside you.

“Zis is a boy you’re talking about, eh?” Noelle speaks, resting a hand atop of yours. You nod in affirmation.

“Zere are hundreds of them out there for you. I am happy because I have found a girl instead of a boy because zey are disgusting,” That comment makes you giggle through your tears. “But I am sure you’ll find another one soon. I think you are very… belle.” She looks at Alice to translate.

“She means beautiful. She thinks you’re beautiful.” Alice laughs, resting her head on your shoulder.

You nod, sniffing and resting your head upon her own. “Yeah, I think boys suck too, Noelle.”

It takes another half hour, but when you finally peel yourself from the bathroom ground, it takes both Alice and Noelle to encourage you out of the room and back up to your common room. You don’t want to go back; the soft hues of yellow and black are what accompany the image of Cedric in your mind.

He is the epitome of the message that the Hufflepuff house portrays. He is all that is good and kind in the world. But he made a mistake that has your heart broken in the palm of your hand. Of his hand.

And you’re sure that there’s nothing you can do about it.

In the dormitory, you peel off your dress, flinging it to the floor, never wanting to see it again. You do a half-ass job of taking off your makeup and removing your hair from its formal state. You flop onto bed, draw the curtains of the four-poster bed closed, pull your quilt up to your chin, and try to force sleep to consume you.

Sleep, as it turns out, is far away. You lay awake for hours, listening to the steady breathing of your four roommates. Images of Alexander flash your mind. You think of what could have happened. What would have happened. You feel disgusting.

You think of Cedric. You wish you could go run and cry to him, but he would only think of you as disgusting as well, right? He already thinks you are a slut, this would put the nail in the coffin.

Hours pass and sleep cannot overpower your vivid and sad and angry thoughts.

Alexander. What would you do if you saw him again? Would he want to talk to you again? Would he want to apologize? You consider going to Dumbledore or Karkaroff, but what did you have to say? You have no evidence to prove Alexander’s intentions. After hours of lying awake, you decide that you would sulk in silence. You would ask Noelle and Alice to not tell anyone. Let this be a secret between the three of you.

You wake up feeling exhausted and unrefreshed. At some point in the night before, you had managed to find sleep, for however brief. Presently, you drag yourself out of bed and into the bathroom. You still feel disgusting, so you take a long and hot shower, making sure to wash your body thoroughly, multiple times.

You get out of the shower and put on pajamas, planning to spend the day in bed since it is Sunday. You kick your dress from the previous night under your bed. You hate the sight of it. You consider selling it to a thrift store or giving it to charity.

You’re thankful that all your roommates are out, leaving you to your own devices. For the whole day, you go in and out of sleep, reading, and eating.

The door bursts open, Alice, looking like a madwoman, barges through, Noelle trailing her.

“Y/n!” She shrieks. She sounds angry.

“Yes?”

“Alexander,” She says, implying that she wants to say more but is unsure how to.

The mention of his name heightens all of your senses. You tilt your chin up at Alice and Noelle, both of whom remained in the doorway.

“He started a rumor that you slept with him.”

Your brain can’t comprehend what she says. Your body involuntarily jumps from its sitting position. Your face goes red, with anger or humiliation, you’re not sure. You have a million things to say, but all you get out is: “What?”

Alice looks genuinely upset. She walks closer to you, reaching her hands towards you. “I’m really sorry, y/n. Noelle heard some Beauxbaton boys talking about it.”

“I did try to tell zem off,” Noelle says, breaking her previous silence. “But zey would not listen.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine.” You groan quietly, burying your head between your knees and releasing a pent-up scream.

You feel it shake within your bones, lifting some of the agonies that they held. “Are you joking?” You feel the color drain from your face when you finally look up.

Alice shakes her head sadly, grasping your hand in her own and squeezing it. “‘M so sorry, m’love. Is there anything I can do?” Her voice is quiet as if to maintain the peace that has settled over the two of you.

“No.” You tell her, rising from the mattress. Regardless of the pain you feel in your heart, you’re determined to go and see Cedric. Maybe you can attempt to fix your side of things. Besides, the second task doesn’t occur until February. You have time to bridge the connection once again.

Alice is trying to stop you. “y/n, I wouldn’t do anything you’re going to regret!” She calls after you.

“I’m not!” You assure her, brushing past the blonde and out the door.

Despite the pain that the Hufflepuff caused you months prior, it’s not mature to hold a grudge this long. Maybe he didn’t mean it. Maybe they were words of unintended malice that just fell from his lips in the heat of the moment. You’re determined to find out.

Surprisingly enough, he’s sitting on the sofa that faces away from the girls’ staircase, but his mousy head of hair is extremely identifiable. At least to you. “Cedric..” Your voice is small; you’re not trying to startle him. You hadn’t noticed it before, but it’s dark. You wonder how late it is, but it’s just you and Cedric in the room. “Can we talk?”

The male rises and then sniffs audibly. “Yeah. Let’s talk.” He turns to finally meet your gaze, hazen orbs brimming with tears, but he doesn’t appear to be sad. He’s furious.

“A-Are you alright?” You question, shrinking into the wallpaper of the room and twisting anxiously at your fingers.

“I dunno, y/n. You tell me.” He snaps, walking around the edge of the couch so that he can meet you face-to-face.

“Tell you what?”

“The fact that you fucking shagged Alexander? I was honestly going to apologize.” He scoffs, running his hands through his hair as he attempts to remain calm. “Because deep down, I knew that you weren’t that kind of person. That you wouldn’t just shag a boy from another fucking school, and I felt awful for saying something like that. Bloody awful.”

Your heart drops. “You believe that, Ced? I didn’t sleep with him!” You argue, stepping closer to him. “You have to believe me!”

The look that washes over your supposed best friend’s face is dark. “I don't know how to believe you anymore, honestly. You’re different. You’re so fucking different and I don’t know what to think of you anymore. I can’t even look at you without being conflicted. And that’s the thing!” He’s flailing his arms, exasperated, and just done with the entire situation.

“I don’t know whether I’m supposed to be mad at you, or myself. Because in complete and utter honesty, we’re not the same. I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

He turns his back to you, sighing deeply. “I can’t do us. If I spend every waking second doubting our friendship, then I don’t know if it’s worth it. This whole Tournament, y/n, is the best thing that’s happened to me. I’m finally going to be worth more than the bloke who simply passed his classes. I’m finally going to be something more. And if you can’t fucking appreciate that, if you can go around and sleep around with some random bloke to make you feel better about yourself then fine. Go ahead. I don’t bloody care anymore. Because as long as I have people that actually want me to be happy, I’m fine. I’m good.”

You’re crying freely now, desperate to reach out and to tell them it’s not true, and then repeat the words like a mantra until it’s engraved itself into your memory. “Ced, I-”

“I stopped being ‘Ced’ when you decided to stop being my friend, y/n. Don’t start with that.”

“I never stopped being your friend, Ced!” You scream out, stepping forward, wrapping your fingers around his bicep, and swinging him around to meet his face. “I never stopped supporting you. Ever. All I ever wanted was to have you see that. Despite our fights. Despite everything that we’ve said to each other.”

Cedric can’t meet your gaze; he’s too deep into the negative mindset he’s created for himself. “I wanted more, y/n.” His voice is soft, like incapable of raising it. “I needed more. You weren’t there when I needed you, and I don’t know what to do now that you want to be.”

He’s breaking his own heart, and the shards are at his feet. There’s no way he can put them back together now. He wants to scream, tell you that it’s okay and that he’s so sorry but he can’t. The agony that you’ve brought him with your actions is enough to break him apart.

He hates that you’re lying. That you’re refraining from the truth to somehow spare his feelings, but he supposes that it’s just as bad. He wishes you’d just tell him.

But there’s nothing to tell. You want him to see that. You want to take him by his shoulders and shake him until he somehow begins to believe the words that you’ve uttered because the rumors aren’t true.

“Why can’t you believe me when I tell you it didn’t happen? That we didn’t shag?”

“Because you couldn't very-well believe me when I told you I never meant to hurt you.”

“What do you mean you ‘never meant to hurt me’? You seeth.

“The Tournament,” He says simply as if that explains everything. You stare at him with incredulous eyes, not understanding. He continues. “I didn’t join the Tournament for money or glory. I didn’t join the Tournament to become popular or make new friends. I didn’t join the Tournament because you would be upset with me.”

You remain confused, tears blurring your vision. “Then why did you?”

He is silent. He knows his next words will break down any remaining friendship you two have. “I wanted to impress this girl,” he says, eyes not meeting yours, “But it turns out she’s a waste of time. She never cared about me.”

With that, Cedric turns away from you and runs up the stairs to his dormitory, where he knows you cannot follow. Cedric leaves you heartbroken, yet again.


	5. Drowning

The sun from the circle windows in the Hufflepuff Common Room shines brightly into your eyes, telling you that it’s Monday and classes are about to begin.

The idea of time suddenly shocks you. After all the sadness and anger you felt last night, you don’t understand how time keeps going. Why did the world keep spinning? Why did the sun keep rising? You want time to freeze and slow down for you, but the world keeps going on around you. Students are leaving early to go down to breakfast, teachers preparing for classes, people passing by your form on the couch without a second glance. You realize how insignificant you are.

The night prior, after Cedric had left, you had fallen to the yellow couch and cried and cried and sobbed and shook until you were so dehydrated that no more tears would come, just loud choking noises that made it hard to breathe. You had laid on the couch until a restless few hours of sleep took away your thoughts.

Presently, the sun shining in your face makes your eyes burn. You feel too sluggish to get up from the couch.

Cedric. Cedric thinks you’re a slut. Cedric thinks you hate him. Cedric hates you. Cedric doesn’t know that you have loved him in a way that goes far beyond friendship. How could Cedric be so stupid? How could he not see how you loved and cared for him, and that you always have? No matter what harsh words he says to you, you always will.

How had everything gone so wrong in such a short amount of time?

***

For a few weeks after your big fall out with him, you only go to classes you feel like attending. Your grades start to go down since you barely show up anymore. Alice notices this and tries to force you to go but to no avail.

Everyone stares at you in the hallways. Even a month after the Yule Ball, the rumors keep spreading. You always hear the whispers.

“Y/n shagged Alexander after the Yule Ball.”  
“Y/n? She cheated on Alexander with Cedric, that’s why they’re not friends anymore.”  
“I heard she’ll sleep with any guy who asks.”  
“Someone told me she got into a cat-fight with Cho over Cedric. Cho won.”  
The whispers aren’t the worst part of it all. It’s the vicious lies that Rita Skeeter manages to spread with her enchanted quill and insatiable desire for gossip. You could see it before it even hit the papers. Bold and true for the world to see.

HOGWARTS CHAMPION CEDRIC DIGGORY GETS HEARTBROKEN BY CHEATING GIRLFRIEND Y/N L/N!  
You try to stay strong. Try to let the rumors die down and not let them affect you. After all, you’re the only one who knows the truth. Most of all, try to not think about him.

But it’s difficult. Everything reminds you of him. Especially that one time you met Myrtle in the hallways.

She was floating about, desperate to find someone to follow and bother as they made their way to class. She had found you, gripping your books with tenacity, desperate to hold back tears until you made it to the bathroom.

“Funny little thing, innit? Seeing the one you love with someone else? Too bad you two broke up because he seems to be having fun without you.” She beams, taunting giggles following soon after.

You had scowled at her, trying to ignore her as you went about your way. “He comes and sees me every night, he does. In the prefects’ bathroom and everything. Our little romance is blossoming, y/n. Beware…” With that, she had floated off. You found it strange that he had done so, but you weren’t in any mindset to investigate further.

Cedric and you avoid each other. In the past weeks, you’ve developed a sort of routine where you never have to see each other. You eat breakfast at 6:30, he eats at 7:00. You get back from classes at 4:00, he gets back from classes at 4:15. You do homework in the library, he does homework in the Hufflepuff common room. A strategic dance made from a non-verbal promise to never talk to each other again.

Promise.

You remember how he promised you forever, all those years ago. How silly it seems now.

***

The second task is tomorrow. You sit alone in the library, as usual, trying to finish up some homework, when a stout woman with curly hair walks up to you and clears her throat.

“Y/n, dear, please come with me,” She asks, although there seems to be no room for debate.

You quickly gather your things into your bag and stand, “What is it, Professor Sprout?”

You start going over a mental list of everything you’ve done wrong or anything that could get you in trouble. Why would the Head of Hufflepuff be asking you to come with her if you were not in trouble? Maybe Alice or Noelle snitched about what happened with Alexander.

“Oh, you’ve done nothing wrong. You’re needed for the Second Task tomorrow.”

“Needed? What do you mean, needed? ‘M not part of the Tournament.” You inquire curiously, grip on our bag tightening as you follow the woman out of the library.

“It’s best to keep the questions for later, darling. That way we can answer them all at once.” Professor Sprout responds with a tight-lipped smile, placing her hand at the small of your back to lead you through the wandering hallways. You’re lead past the Fat Lady, of whom is attempting to break a wine glass, and into McGonagall’s room.

Your heart drops. You’ve been skipping Transfiguration as of late and as proven previously, you’re not the best with confrontation. Before the poor woman even has a chance to speak, you’re parting your lips in protest, urging her to forgive you for all of your wrongdoings.

“You’re alright, child.” The older woman soothes you, rising from her desk and making her way over to you. “No need to fret. We’ll discuss your shortcomings later. I need you for something imperative.” She starts, leading you to the center of her classroom. “Stand still for me?”

The command sounds more like a question as he pulls out her wand and presses it to the center of your forehead. The wood is cool against your freckled skin, and such is all you remember before McGonagall and the rest of her classroom begin to dissipate into darkness.

The professor tuts as you fall limp in her embrace, and she ushers the head of the Hufflepuff house to aid her as she murmurs a plethora of charms to protect your body against the frigid waters you’re about to face.

“I didn’t know they were still friends.” Professor Sprout murmurs as the tournament’s officials come to take your languid form away.

“Me neither. But we were told to get her, so she must still be important to him.” The brunette shrugs, sitting down at one of the seats with a defeated sigh. “I can’t keep up with their drama, honestly. There’s just so much of it!”

Professor Sprout snorts, sitting aside her companion and sighing. “I worry about this challenge. I’m confident they’ll do well, but I just hope they’ll apply what we’ve taught them.”

McGonagall nods in agreement. “All we can do is wait and see.”

***

Cedric is freezing. Why would they schedule a swimming event in the middle of February? He’s practically bouncing up and down, desperate to warm his rigid limbs as he prepares for the second task.

“In order to win,” Dumbledore’s booms over all others. “Each champion must only find their treasure and return to the surface!”

Alright, Cedric thinks, clenching and unclenching his fists as he mentally readies himself from the hardships this challenge is going to bring. Not too difficult. Just find my treasure… what is my treasure?  
Before he can dwell on such any further, his headmaster begins to speak again. “Simple enough! Except for this; they will have but one hour to do so, and one hour only! After that, they’ll be on their own. No magic will save them. You may begin at the sound of the cannon!”  
There it is. The cannon.

He bounds forward, jumping into the frigid liquid before uttering a bubble charm to fit a bubble over his mouth and nose. He can barely move, but he has to. If he’s going to risk your relationship, he has to win. He’s barreling towards the bottom of the lake, and although the mass of water is vast, it is murky. He can barely see his own hands.

He pushes forward, muscles screaming in discontent as he ravages the waters in an attempt to find his supposed treasure. He has to.

There are selkies dancing around him, taunting him with their ghoulish screaming. He ignores them, or at least tries to when they begin to close in, crowding him in and denying further movement.

He’s fed up. He only has an hour. With a simple flick of his wrist, he’s firing them away, as he’s anxious to get a move on. He only has one hour.

As he continues to swim, he finds four people suspended, or rather, tethered to the lake’s floor with some kind of rope. You’re unrecognizable, but he spots Harry attempting to rip the tether off of Ron’s ankle.

However, before he can even manage to get a word out, there are more selkies surrounding the younger male, scratching at the back of his hands, attempting to deter him from his task. Cedric blasts hexes at them, smiling when they back off.

When he swims a bit closer, he then realizes the female that he’s peering at. Your hair is displayed in a halo around your head, e/c irises temporarily blinded by the eyelids that cover them.

He pauses momentarily, desperate to soak in the peaceful look that has settled over your features. It’s been too long since he’s seen you in such serenity. He wants to capture this moment and save it in his mind’s eye.

He flicks his wand again, detaching the seaweed and hooking your arm with his. He glances down at the Potter boy, tapping at his watch. Watch the time. He warns without words, boosting upwards and taking you with him.

The comfort that shrouds the mere concept of your intertwined limbs brings a smile to his lips. He misses this. The surface is closer now, and his temporary mask is wearing off.

It’s nearing with every stroke of his legs, and when he does break the surface, with you in tow, he’s hit with both saddened and overjoyed emotions. He’s conflicted.

***

You have never been more grateful when the air hit your lungs as you surfaced from the Black Lake, with Cedric’s arms wrapped around you. It takes you a second to come back to yourself. You tell yourself to simultaneously breathe and swim, which is hard due to your confusion. Cedric is not even six inches away from you, swimming with all his might.

Now you hear the crowd’s cheers. Thunderous applause, people waving their Hufflepuff scarves with proud smiles on their faces. This could mean only one thing: Cedric won the Second Task.

He starts swimming forward to the dock on the water, where the crowd awaits, gently pulling you in tow. He is smiling. He is happy.

Your mind is in shambles as the crowd pulls Cedric onto the dock, lifting you up with ease shortly after. There is a spasm of hands on you, someone wraps a blanket around you and eases you down to sit on the dock. The cheers only grow louder as Viktor Krum surfaces next.

It’s all so overwhelming.

Cedric saved you. Why you? Why were you chosen to be the prize in this task?

The cheers die down as Fleur surfaces alone, tears running down her face. They quickly pull her out of the water and wrap her in a blanket as well. Where was her person?

The cheers boom again as Harry surfaces with both Ron and Gabrielle, Fleur’s sister.

Your head feels water-logged. Literally and metaphorically. A hand lands on your shoulder. You turn--

“Y/n, are you okay?” Says Cedric, his hair dripping, a blanket like yours thrown over his shoulders.

People are crowding him, the winner of the Second Task. The cheers continue. Your head throbs.

Should you be mad at Cedric, or should you be grateful?

He stares at you with his beautiful eyes. A water drop remains on his lashes. He is concerned, you can tell. You realize you have not answered, and nod frantically, not trusting what would come out of your mouth if you spoke.

He sits down next to you. The attention fades away from him and onto Harry freakin’ Potter who had to show everyone up by saving two people. Some people even start to disperse back to Hogwarts.

The intensity of what just happens hits you. Harry saved Ron, his best friend, the person he loves and cares about the most. Viktor saved Hermione, the girl he is dating, the person he loves, and cares about the most. Fleur intended to save her sister, Gabrielle, the person she loves and cares about the most.

You realize what that makes you, the person Cedric saved.

You look at him intensely. You admire him up close, for the first time in a long time. He is sitting so close you can see the water droplets drying on his skin. His hair falls in wet curls that stick to his forehead. His eyebrows are pulled together in concern. You haven’t been this close to him in months and you’re so, so grateful to see him like he always has been: caring, compassionate, and loving. A true-blooded Hufflepuff. Your life-long best friend. The person you love and care about the most.

He opens his mouth to say something else. Judging by the way he creased his forehead, it would be either another nasty remark or an apology for his previous nasty remarks.

At this point, you don’t care.

You tackle him in a hug. His back slams onto the dock, his long arms instantly wrap themselves around you. You hear the cheers of the crowd, this time directed at you and Cedric, but you don’t care. All you care about at this exact moment is Cedric.

Your head lays on his wet shirt, his hands run over your tangled wet hair.

All your anger and sadness and hate and despair from the previous months melt away with the gentle stroke of his hand.

“I don’t want to ruin the moment, Y/n,” Cedric says, his chin still resting on the top of your head, “But you smell like lake water.”

You can’t help but laugh, even though tears of joy stream down your face. You pull away from him, albeit, reluctantly, and return to your spot on your knees. Cedric sits up to face you. He looks at you with a guilty look in his eyes. You can predict what is going to come.

“About all the things I said--”

“The things we said,” You correct. He weakly smirks.

“I’m sorry,” He says simply and earnestly. You stare at him. Thinking of all the terrible months you’ve had. All the days you spent in bed crying. All the terrible things you said and thought. You realize that it must have been as agonizing for him as it had for you. Constantly pushing each other away, and for what?

“None of that matters now, Ced. None of it.” You murmur, your eyes shifting down to find his lips. They’re chapped and swollen from the cold that bites at them, but they’re intoxicating. You can’t draw your eyes away from them.

There’s a sudden flash at your right, and you look there to find the source to find a beaming photographer and none other than Rita Skeeter. “Well look… at… this.” Her voice is sickeningly sweet; it hurts your ears. “Isn’t this just amazing?” She gasps, glancing down at her stout photographer. “Please tell me you got Cho in the back, poor thing.” Her bottom lip juts out in mock sympathy. “Wonder what she’ll do when she finds out you and mister Lover Boy have kissed!”

“We didn’t-” You’re suddenly shifting away from the dirty blond involuntarily, attempting to dispel the fantasy the writer has concocted in her head. You glance at him, pursing your lips to try and hide the smile that’s threatening to show. This is too funny. “We didn’t kiss.”

“Oh, nonsense! Both of you are just drowning in sexual tension!” She peeks over at the quill that is scribbling furiously, confirming that it indeed wrote down her innuendo.

“Is that right?” Cedric laughs, rising to his feet. He leans forward, curling his fingers under your elbows to help you stand.

Rita plasters a fake smile on her lips and grasps her quill once it has stopped moving. “Well, then! I should get going. Mr. Harry Potter has lots to tell me!” She sings, spinning and running off to go find the poor boy.

You turn back to Cedric. You finally decide to address the elephant in the room. “I was your treasure. Even after all this time. Why?”

Cedric sucks in a deep breath through clenched teeth, eyes wandering around anywhere but they don’t land on you. Until they do. “Because I promised you forever, y/n.” He croons, eyebrows furrowing as he meets your gaze. “You are forever. I don’t care what happens, or who gets in between us,” He pauses, encasing your blushing cheeks between his wet palms so that you have nowhere to look but at his gray eyes. “I promised you forever, and I’m gonna give it to you.”

His lips are all of a sudden so incredibly interesting again. Until a deep voice speaks. “Well, I was waiting for you to say hello after you ran away during the last task.”

It’s Amos. Cedric releases your face, pulling away and straightening his spine in the presence of his father.

“Mr. Diggory!” You cry out joyously, bounding forward and wrapping him up in your embrace. “I missed you!”

Cedric’s father chuckles, rubbing his palm up and down your back as you pull away. “Staying out of trouble I hope?”

“Never.” You muse, cracking an easy smile with the man you could call a second father. You turn to the wet boy beside you, and in gazing at his appearance, you suddenly realize how cold you are.

A chatter begins in your teeth, your bones quivering at the frosty air that nips at your freckled, exposed skin, tainting it a rosy red. “Can we go inside now?” You ask through chattering teeth, looking up at Cedric with a doe-eyed look. “Because to be honest, I don’t know how long I was in that damned lake and I don’t even want to think about how many sea bugs are in my fucking hair right now.”

Cedric rolls his eyes, pressing his palm to the small of your back and urging you towards the entrance of Hogwarts. “Yes, we can go inside now, y/n.”

You beam up at him, and in seconds you realize that is the first genuine smile you’ve worn in months. It’s as though this boy has a stronghold on your emotional state and he knows it. But that doesn’t matter right now.

Nothing did except for him. There’s great difficulty in keeping your eyes trained on the pebbled ground below your bare feet. Wait, you’re not wearing shoes. And your feet are killing you. “Hey, Ced?” You glance up, frowning at the gray-eyed Hufflepuff.

“Yes, love?” He inquires, looking down and to his side as his dad chatters away on the other side of him. He clutches his blanket tighter around his broad shoulders.

“Erm, weird question, but do you have any other shoes I can-” Your question is cut short as Cedric bends down, curling a muscled arm under the bend of your knees and behind your shoulders and swooping you off your feet.

You can’t help the yelp and the joyous yelp that follows as he carries you. “Ced!” At the Hogwarts entrance stands a scowling Cho, arms crossed over her chest as she sports an angry pout and angry eyes.

Fun.


	6. Proclamations

Cedric sees Cho but does not put you down. As he walks closer to her, he says “Hey Cho. I didn’t see you by the dock.”

Cho stares at both of you, not saying anything. You realize that you did not see her at the Second Task at all. You decide to be civil and send a small wave at her. 

Her eyes narrow at you. She turns from her spot at the entrance of Hogwarts and walks inside, still saying nothing. 

Cedric sighs as she leaves. He carries you towards the entrance and places you down on the smooth stone tiles.

“I wonder what she’s mad about,” He says. You have a pretty good idea, but shrug like you don’t know. 

“Speaking of significant others,” He says, starting to walk with you to the Hufflepuff Common Room. You feel a slight bit of panic build up in your stomach. “How are you and Alexander?”

You’re shocked. You want to be angry, but don’t want to initiate another fight. 

“I’m sure you’ve heard the whispers. And seen the headlines.” You sigh. “Besides, we haven’t spoken since the Yule Ball.”

Cedric’s eyes pop open at this. He stops walking and turns to face you. His cheeks are tinted with a slight shade of pink. 

“So…” He prompts you.

“The rumors aren’t true, Cedric. I never slept with him,” You say flatly, starting to walk again. You can’t help but be a little upset that he actually believed the rumors. 

He seems relieved at this and continues to walk beside you.

“There he is!” Booms a voice from down the hall, by the Hufflepuff Common Room door. A string of cheers chorus behind him. “The winner of the Second Task!”

A group of Hufflepuffs charge at Cedric and pull him towards the door, leaving you behind. You can tell they’re celebrating him tonight.

Cedric turns in the Hufflepuff’s grasp and says: “What about y/n?”

Your heart swells. How you’ve missed this. 

The Hufflepuff boys look at each other, clearly thinking. Probably of all the rumors surrounding you the past months. One boy shrugs. 

“Why not? Come on, y/n.” He grabs your arm and pulls you through the door into the Common Room, where music plays and people dance. Cedric is pulled through the door just after you. People cheer and crowd him. 

While the attention is on Cedric, you make a quick getaway to your dormitory, where you quickly shower and change from your soaking wet clothes. 

While thoroughly rinsing your hair from lake water, and, yes, lake bugs, you really reflect on the last few months. It all seems so silly now. You barely understand why you were mad at Cedric in the first place. It seems now that you were in more danger during the Tournament than he ever was. 

And sure, the spiteful words he threw at you were awful, but one step at a time. You’d cross that bridge when you got there.

By the time you change and return back to the Common Room, there is a smaller crowd of people around Cedric. Music still booms and people still chant. 

When people see you, they actually greet you. This is the first time in months that people say “Hey y/n!” rather than turning and whispering to their friends about you. You feel so light; so airy. You feel like you will just start floating. Your cheeks hurt from smiling so wide. 

You feel happy, genuinely happy, for the first time in a long time.

You make your way towards Cedric, who’s sitting on the yellow couch. The sun is setting, the last beams of light shooting through the windows, casting a warm glow over his features. Although you can only see the back of his head, you can tell he looks like an angel. You pause your movements when you see a black-haired female next to him. 

You can’t see her face, but you know it’s Cho Chang. They look to be talking rather intensely. You want to try and be civil with her, for Cedric. If she makes Cedric happy then you can handle only being Cedric’s friend. As long as you can have him close, you’re satisfied. 

You know it’s a bad idea, but you focus on their conversation.

“Why was it her?” Cho says, sounding upset, and dare say, jealous. “Why was she in the lake? Why did you save her?”

“Listen, Cho,” Cedric grabs her hands, holding them as a boyfriend would. You feel a pang in your heart but quickly dismiss it. “Y/n is my best friend. She always has been. I love her and I always will.”

“But all the things she said to you! All the times her words made you cry.” She shakes her head like she does not believe his words. “I was the one there for you, not her.”

You feel like you’ve literally been stabbed in the chest. You had made Cedric cry, and not on only one occasion. Both of you were emotionally destroyed and abandoned each other in the past months. You have not been there for him. Tears well up in your eyes.

The party rages on around you. Music blares and people dance. But your mood no longer matches the room’s positive and upbeat energy. 

How could you have let it go so far? Why had you not toughened up and apologized to Cedric?

“None of that matters now, Cho. We made up,” Cedric says earnestly. Cho removes her hands from his and quickly stands as if to get away from him. She finally sees you. Her eyes narrow, yet again.

Cedric follows her gaze and makes eye contact with you. He looks back down at his hands. 

“How could you have been so cruel to him?” Cho spits at you. “Why couldn’t you have stayed with Alexander and just left Cedric alone?”

You’re at a loss for words. You become a stuttering mess. Cedric reaches out for Cho but she moves away, coming closer to you with fire in her eyes. 

“Say something!” She yells, getting the attention of a few people near you, but the party rages on. 

Your inability to utter even a simple word vanishes in mere seconds as a fire ignites within the pit of your belly. You step forward, eyes alight, and daring her to speak again. “You wanna know why, Cho? Because he groped me. He touched me and kissed me in places I don’t want to talk about, but here you are. Forcing me to relive a traumatic moment just so you can satiate your incessant desire to get whatever the fuck you want.” You snarl, hands twitching as you refrain from hurting the brunette. 

She takes a step back, appalled by your sudden retaliation, but she’s not finished. Cedric rises from the couch, seeing but not speaking. There’s a sudden high tension in the air, so thick you can cut it with a knife. 

Someone has turned down the music, the chatter is slowing down. All eyes are on you. 

“Is that what you’ve been telling people? That he raped you? Oh, sod off, y/n, we’re all sick of the dramatic sob story. When are you going to grow up and realize that you can’t just twist the story to fit your sick morals? Just because the sex was bad doesn’t mean he hurt you. S’not my fault your own boyfriend can’t get you off.” 

Your jaw is set, and fury is roaring behind your closed lids as you suck in a deep breath. 

Don’t cry. You remind yourself. People are watching. 

“Is that what you tell yourself to help you sleep at night?” Your tone is eerily soft, puncturing the dense air and pulling everyone to the edge of their seats. “That I’ve been lying? That I twisted the story to fit my own morals? You can call me a whore all you want but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re too insecure to admit the truth. To admit that I never chose for that to happen. Because if I did, you would be sitting all pretty in Cedric’s arms, living your perfect. Little. Life.” You spit out each word as you inch closer to the Ravenclaw. 

The crowd is chewing on their tongues, anxious to hear what the girl in front of you has to say. 

“At least I didn’t lie about who I shagged to hurt the man I’ve been in love with since childhood. The man I’ll never have.” The smile she’s sporting pulls your heart down into the depths of your chest. 

“That’s enough,” Cedric growls, and despite all the altercations you’ve had with him, you’ve never seen him so incredibly furious.

Seconds pass by as you both await his next utterance of words. Who is he going to choose?

You once thought that if he were to choose Cho, then you would be alright. You’d move on. But now? After this? 

You’d never recover. 

It’s as though there’s an invisible hand around your jugular, slowly squeezing the life out of you until you’re pale in the face and completely numb. 

“Cho,” The sandy-haired boy begins, and your heart plummets. “...you need to go.” 

There’s a soft chorus of laughter that reverberates throughout the Hufflepuff common room. Cho’s jaw drops in disbelief. “You’re kidding.” 

“No. ‘M not. You had absolutely no right to speak to her like that. You know how much she means to me.” He shoots back.

“Even after all that she’s done? After everything she’s said?” 

Cedric pauses, and you feel bile rise in the back of your throat. “Even after all of that. I promised her forever, Cho. And forever isn’t always pretty. You could have been part of that, part of my life, but if you’re willing to put my relationship with y/n in jeopardy because of some petty jealousy, and sit there and insult her about a sensitive subject because you’re too blind to see the truth, then no. We’re done. You’re done. Leave.” 

“Fuck you, Cedric Diggory. Fuck you.” 

Cedric doesn’t respond, pearly eyes focused on the dirt-specked ground below his feet. Her jaw clamps shut in contempt as she turns on her heel and storms out of the room. 

You can’t stop the ebbing of tears on your waterline, or how they manage to cascade off the precipice and down the apples of your cheeks, leaving tracks in their wake. “Ced,” You sob out, suddenly aware of all the eyes on you and how badly you just want to be alone. 

The boy curls you into his broad chest, urging his friends to turn up the music and allow you to blend into the crowd. It’s humorous how shortly teenagers can withhold their attention span. Cedric is lulling you away from the movement of people, desperate to take you upstairs to his dormitory so you can talk. 

You’ve missed it there. You used to come in nearly every night, giggling like schoolgirls (yes, Cedric too) and stay there until beams of light shone through the open window, painting your skin in a soft glow. 

You could talk to Cedric for hours on end.

He closes the wooden door behind him, allowing you to sit on his mattress so that you can talk. 

Are you ready for this?

You and Cedric are alone, for the first time in months. You sit on his bed, he sits on the bed across from you. 

You dry your tears for one final time, hoping you will shed no more tears over Cedric again. You’re unsure what is going to happen next. 

“What happened between you and Alexander?” Cedric starts off. He says it softly, almost whispering. 

You hadn’t really thought about what happened between Alexander and you in months. You choose to deny it, and go about your life as if it never happened.

“Did he…?” Cedric trails off, clearly afraid to say the word.

“Rape me? No,” You say. “He stopped.” The memory of that night is enough for tears to well up in your eyes yet again. You are determined to not let them fall. You are strong.

Cedric’s shoulders visibly relax. He moves from his spot across from you to be next to you. You instinctively lean your head on his shoulder. 

“I’m so sorry, y/n.” He says, sounding close to tears himself. “I should have been there.”

“It’s not your fault. He had me fooled. I feel so stupid that I ever even liked him.”

“I should have taken you to the Ball,” He says quickly. “I should have never let him near you. Why did you not tell me? Did you tell anyone?”

“I told Alice, and her girlfriend Noelle.”

He seems upset by this. “This guy is dangerous, y/n.” He turns to look at you “You need to tell someone. Tell Karkaroff, he’ll throw Alexander right out of Durmstrang.”

“I have no proof. He technically didn’t do anything illegal.”

“He would have,” Cedric says seriously. You often wondered how far Alexander would have gone if you had not pushed him off you. “Besides,” Cedric continues. “I doubt you’re his only victim.”

This scares you. What if he harassed some other innocent person? Someone who was not as lucky as you to get away?

You suddenly wanted to change the subject, to anything else. 

“So Cho’s exposed all my secrets,” You say, feeling your face heat up, looking at your feet.

Cedric grows very quiet. “Yeah.”

“All you’re going to say is ‘yeah’?” You turn to look at him, his cheeks are bright red. 

“Yeah.”

You laugh.

“Cho said you loved me,” He says quietly.

“You told me months ago that you cared about me.”

The conversation quickly changes directions. In your mind, there are two ways this can pan out. One: you admit your feelings to Cedric, and he returns them. You become a happy couple. Two: You admit your feelings to Cedric, he does not return them, and your friendship is ruined. 

“Yeah,” He says, yet again.

“Yeah,” You reply, not being quite confident enough to admit yourself yet. There is a brief moment where all you can hear is the muffled music from downstairs. 

“What does this mean?” He asks. You quite honestly have no idea yourself. You giggle.

“I don’t know,” You say truthfully. You made a split-second decision: Tell Cedric the truth. Best friends don’t keep secrets. “Ilikeyou,” You say quickly. “Morethanafriend”

He laughs. “Come again?”

It seems that all the blood in your body is rushing to your face. 

“I like you,” You say slowly, deliberately. “As more than a friend.”

Your heart is beating so loudly that you can’t even hear the music coming from downstairs. Blood rushes in your ears. The brief second that he is silent lasts a millennium. 

“I understand if you--” You begin, but Cedric cuts you off.

“You like me?” He sounds genuinely shocked. You cannot tell if his reaction is good or bad. “Because,” He continues, “I like you too.”  
You’re shocked into silence. He, on the other hand, cannot say enough. “I don’t like you. I love you. I’ve been in love with you for a decade.”

“Oh.” Is all you manage to say. “Same.”

You quickly reget your lame choice of words. You awkwardly laugh, trying to cover your embarrassment. “That was so lame. I’m sorry.”

Cedric laughs at your embarrassment. He quickly falls silent. 

It’s just you two. Not just in the room, but in the whole world. Just you and Cedric, as it always has been. You two stare at each other, unsure what’s going to happen next, who will speak or move next. You notice there are small flecks of green in his brown eyes.

“Did we just confess our love for each other?” He asks. You smile a bit.

“I think we did.” It’s his turn to smile. 

There’s a comfortable silence that hangs in the air, urging you to move forward and press your lips to his; to finally seal the deal. He moves, curling a strand of hair behind your ear and you lean into his touch, palm searing against your rouging cheek. No words are spoken between the two of you as he leans forward, nose brushing against your own as your breath catches in the back of your throat. 

Is this it?

Your lips are about to brush up against one another when there’s a loud noise, and the door opens. “Yo, Ced! This party is for you! You’re supposed to be there!” Then the owner of the voice, of whom is Cedric’s friend Nate, notices your awkward position. “Oh. Sorry. Were you guys doing something?” 

Cedric rises with a chuckle, shaking his head and shooting you an apologetic glance as he follows after his friend. However, before he turns around the door frame, he looks back at you. “I love you.” He mouths, beaming wildly. 

You can’t help the smile that tugs on the corner of your lips. “I love you too.”


	7. Unforgotten

Life is good. For the first time in months, life is good. Cedric, despite your friendship that has lasted over a decade, has never been more kind and gentle. But there’s one small flaw that’s beginning to drive you insane. 

You haven’t kissed. You make the automatic assumption that it follows along with the bridge between friendship to relationship, and the awkwardness that comes with it. You aren’t supposed to kiss your best friend. Well, you’re not supposed to do a lot of things, but here you are. 

But it’s been months. In addition to the awkward nature of kissing your old best friend, you can never manage to find the right time. You’re constantly interrupted.

The first time Nate interrupted you was not his last. It didn’t help that they shared a room together. The simple fact that Cedric has to share such often slips your mind as you attempt to get him alone to finally kiss him. 

But you’re always interrupted. 

The third and final task is coming up. You’re a lot more nervous than Cedric is. Your worry about kissing Cedric fleets from your mind as you ponder about all the possible ways he can get hurt. You’re consistently reminding yourself that this predicament was the sole reason for your broken friendship all those months ago. Oh, how it seems so far away. 

“Don’t worry, darling. ‘M gonna be alright. You’re worried about nothing.” The Hufflepuff croons quietly, long fingers carding through your tangled tresses as he smooths his lips over your brow. You want them to be on your own. 

“‘M sorry. I don’t want you to be mad.” 

“I could never be mad. I understand where you’re coming from, dove.” Cedric smooths his palm up and down your spine as you curl into his side. You’re standing outside McGonagall’s classroom, waiting a few moments before you both have to go inside. 

Your professor is seated at her desk, flipping through assignments as she fights back a smile that threatens to break through. She knew it would happen eventually. 

You shrug meekly, burying your nose in his broad chest as you attempt to quell the anxieties that plague your mind. “I just want you to be safe. Who knows what Viktor could do? Especially after Alex? They’re all just fucking brutes who don’t know when the game is over.” You scowl discontentedly, pulling away from your boyfriend (the title makes you giddy with joy) and peering up at him from below. 

“You know I’ll be fine, darling. We’ve been practicing for a reason. They use all the same tricks anyway, I shouldn’t have to expect anything too serious.” He soothes, ushering you into the classroom with a hand at your back as the bell reverberates throughout the massive castle. 

You want desperately to trust that everything’s going to be alright; to allow your worries to fall from your mind as if they were never there at all. 

Is he really going to be alright?

The class passes by in a blur. The third task is tomorrow and you can’t allow the thought to escape your mind. How could you? He’s sitting right beside you and he very well could not be days after. The Triwizard Tournament isn’t just a measly game. It’s a death-defying tournament that showcases the skills of upcoming (and unprepared) teenagers who wish to put their lives on the line for the sake of fame. 

It’s not worth it. 

But you can’t fight about it anymore. You can’t put your relationship on the line for the sake of your selfish desires to have the sandy-haired boy all to yourself. It isn’t fair. But nothing is. At least not for you. You understand that Cedric cannot back out of the Tournament.

McGonagal dismisses the class. Cedric stands up and helps you gather your things into your bag. That night also passes in a blur. Cedric and you trying to spend alone time together, people interrupting. 

You barely slept that night, your whole body shook with anxiety. You slip out of your bed and down the stairs, heading straight for Cedric’s room.

It was late, or early, so you did not expect any of Ced’s roommates to be awake. You open the door and slip soundlessly into the room, tip-toeing across the room to Cedric’s bed. You didn’t wish to wake him, so you slide under the covers, right next to him. 

His arm wraps around you. “How did I know you were going to show up?” He whispers, eyes still closed.

You softly groan in response, suddenly noticing the weight of your eyelids and the tug of sleep that pulls on your brain. In Cedric’s arms, cuddled on his tiny twin bed, you drift off to sleep. 

***

You awake by the sound of whoops and whistles. 

“Little y/n spent the night with Ced!”

“How romantic!”

More whistles come from Cedric’s roommates. 

“C’mon, Ced, the Third Task is today!”

“Yeah, get off y/n and get dressed.”

Cedric groans, wanting to sleep more. You, on the other hand, are wide awake. Your face flushes at the thought of Nate and his friends catching you two like this.

The boys start chanting “Huff-le-puff! Huff-le-puff!” over and over again until Cedric finally rolls out of bed. He places a kiss on your forehead before heading to the bathroom to shower. You ignore the boys’ cheers and head back to your own room where you begin to get ready after dismissing Alice’s questions about your whereabouts.

Thirty minutes later, you’re leaving the Common Room, arm-in-arm with Cedric, who’s wearing a yellow and black Champion shirt. You enter the Great Hall and you’re about to ask him how he’s feeling, where you hear a loud and proud voice. 

“That’s my son!” You instantly recognize the owner: Amos Diggory. Cedric’s father and your second father.

Cedric lets go of your arm and hugs his father. Amos quickly pulls you into a group hug. 

“How’s my boy?” He asks, enthusiastic as always.

“Nervous,” Cedric responds. “But excited.”

Amos looks at you. “And how’s my beautiful daughter-in-law?”

Cedric blushes ferociously. He’s about to tell his dad to stop embarrassing him when Dumbledore’s voice booms throughout the Great Hall. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes’ time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now.” Dumbledore says. 

Cedric looks at you and his father one last time. He squeezes your hand reassuringly. “I’ll see you when I have the cup,” He says and turns to follow Bagman. The hall erupts in cheers as both Hogwarts champions leave for the Quidditch Pitch. 

Five minutes later, you’re in the stands, looking at the maze. It’s huge and ominous, you can only see a few feet into the maze before it’s shrouded by darkness. The four champions stand at the entrance, Harry and Cedric, both tied in first, get to go in first. 

You feel a sudden, gut-sinking feeling. Some deep and dark part of your mind says that this will be the last time you ever see Cedric alive. 

You begin to rise from the stands, people sitting next to you staring at your strange actions. 

“So . . . on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!” says Bagman.

You begin to run down the stairs, through the crowds of people and onto the field. You make eye contact with Cedric, he sees you running as fast as you can, directly at them.

“Three — two — one —” The second that Bagman blows his whistle, your arms are around Cedric. You see Harry run into the maze.

“Y/n, I’ve got to go,” Cedric says hurriedly, gently pushing you away. People are staring at you now. 

“Just--be safe.” You let go of him. He smiles, and turns into the maze, going the opposite way of Harry. 

The gut-wrenching feeling from earlier leaves your body. You don’t know how your action might have just changed Cedric’s fate, but you can only pray for the best. 

A professor ushers you back to your seat, yelling at you and saying your actions were highly inappropriate and immature. You sit back down in the stands, still feeling worried, but not completely terrified. 

You sit next to Amos Diggory, he wraps an arm around you and rubs your shoulder. “He’ll be alright,” Amos says. “He always is.”

His words slightly ease you. There is no clear view of what happens in the maze, just the impenetrable doom that is waiting and hoping and praying.

The noises that come from the maze are terrifying. There’s yelling, too loud, and far away to make out what the words are or who they’re coming from. There are growls from unnamed animals. There’s a constant sound of branches and bushes moving. There’s a high-pitched scream, most definitely Fleur, that sends chills up everyone’s spines. Yet there are no red sparks shot in the air.   
There is a shout-- a male’s shout at first it was words of anger, then screams of pain. You turned to Amos, fear in your eyes. Both of you recognize the voice. Another shout, then red sparks.  
A professor watching from the sidelines runs in, following where the red sparks hang suspended in the air. 

Please let Cedric be okay, you pray to yourself, please. 

The professor came back with a boy’s body hovering in the air.

Viktor Krum, stunned by Stupefy. 

There’s a silence that hangs in the air, numbing the audience with both anxiety and excitement. No one dares to speak; to break the tension that has formed. 

Several minutes pass, and there’s nothing. Not a sound. But then there’s another scream, words that puncture said silence and pull your hearts into your throats. It’s Harry. “Cedric! On your left!”  
“Stupify!” The words are now clear and distinct, unlike all the other noises you’ve heard. Why? “Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy!” You’re filled with dread at the mere thought of what they’re up against. 

“Stupefy!” It’s Cedric now, pulling you back up to your feet, blood pounding behind your ears. “C’mon, Ced. Be safe. Please.” The whispers falling from your lips hold no receiver but yourself, but you hold hope in your heart that they have an effect on the boy inside the daring maze. 

“Expelliarmus!” It’s Harry again. “Stupefy!” It’s the both of them, and then a horrifying screech reverberates throughout the thick air. 

Bile is burning the back of your throat. You’re ready to hurl all over the poor person in front of you. The sounds are muffled all over again, it’s as if they’re chatting idly with no other care in the world. 

They die down as their voices lower in volume, and you can’t discern the conversation the topic of which they’re talking about. It lasts several minutes, and the concept of it all has you scowling angrily. This isn’t any time for chatting. 

But then there’s a whoosh of wind near the center of the maze and a quiet pop, and you’re holding your breath as you await their arrival in the front. You’re ready to bound down; to see the victor and to congratulate them regardless of who it is. 

But it never comes. A pout dances on your lips as you find your seat once again, turning to Cedric’s father. “Where are they?” 

“‘M sure there’s no need to worry, child. They’ll find their way, I’m sure.” He pats your shoulder as he attempts to refrain his giddy grin. There’s every possibility of Cedric winning, but in realistic terms, Harry could definitely triumph as well. 

“Where’s Cedric’s mum?” You murmur in question, twisting anxiously at your fingers, blinking blearily at the man as you attempt to alter your state of mind. “I thought she said she was coming today.” 

The man sighs heavily, patting at your back. “I couldn’t tell you, love. Really couldn’t. She promised to come and support m’boy, but haven’t seen her for years.” 

You purse your lips, refraining from saying anything more to further upset the man as you await Cedric and Harry’s arrival. Despite your deep-rooted love (and frustration for his stubborn nature) for the Hufflepuff, you’re proud of him regardless of the circumstance. 

The seconds bleed into everlasting minutes, plunging everyone’s hearts into states of despair as they sit anxiously, waiting for the arrival of the last two champions of the Triwizard tournament.   
But then it comes. There’s an audible thud as the two boys appear at the front of the maze, and trumpets come to life, announcing their triumphant arrival. The cup is several feet from where they lay; disregarded and unimportant as Harry disorientingly rises from the plush grass. 

You’re beaming in accordance to the music when Fleur’s screams tear from her throat and strike the ears of the audience. The music stops, and Harry’s distraught sobs ripple through the crowd.   
“He’s back! He’s back! Voldemort’s back!” Why isn’t Cedric moving? Both you and Amos are bounding down the steps, pushing past the ongoers, desperate to meet the face of the boy you’ve been dreaming about for a decade.

But you hear it.

“My God - Diggory!” The voice of Cornelius Fudge whispers. “Dumbledore - he’s dead!”

“He’s dead!” “He’s dead!” “Cedric Diggory! Dead!” Other voices screech, and then it’s gone. The voices fall silent against deaf ears as you pad over to the body of the boy you once loved.  
Tears are steadily pouring down your cheeks, and although Amos is wailing in agony beside you, there’s nothing. No noise. No nothing. 

“Oh, Ced.” You choke out, pulling your fingers up to your trembling as you watch adults crowd his lifeless body, holding him. You’re in such a state of shock you can’t even manage to move from the spot you’re rooted in. 

He’s gone. 

But then there’s a whisper that pushes through the crowd, finding your ears as Amos grabs hold of you. 

“He’s alive!” 

The state of disorientation that you’re wading through is enough to pull a choked sob from the base of your throat, illustrating the pain and agony that is rippling throughout your aching chest.   
You push forward, palms pushing away at the bodies that swarm Cedric’s anxious to get a look at the boy to determine whether or not the words are false. 

They’re not. 

Cedric is blinking owlishly up at the crowd above him, knuckling at his languid irises as he attempts to distinguish the world around him. The last event he can recollect is a flash of green in his mind’s eye. 

He’s coughing, dispelling the frog in his throat as his eyes land on you. You’ve frozen again, the soles of your feet rooted to the ground and unmoving. “Cedric..” His name rolls off your tongue as his pearly eyes land on your own, eyebrows furrowing as he takes in your disheveled state. 

“Phew. That was a close one.”

Then you’re moving. You’re surging forward, finding him in two large strides, capturing his jaw between your palms, pushing up onto your toes, and finally searing your lips against his own. They’re impeccably soft, melding against yours as your fingers lock around the soft tufts of hair at the nape of his neck, holding him in and refusing all movement. 

Your lips move against each other, soaking up each flavor that they hold, and it’s more than you’ve ever imagined. Better than you’ve ever imagined. 

Cedric’s dirtied arms are winding around the small of your back, pulling you forward and melting your body into his. He’s then capturing your face in his hands, pulling away momentarily to fill his lungs with much-needed oxygen before he’s moving in again, kissing you softly but with all the fight he has left in his sore form. 

You can’t get enough, you’re inebriated with the mere taste of his lips. You’re pulling away for breath, chests heaving with the effort of the lip-lock. You can’t tear your gaze away from his lust-blown pupils. “I thought you ruined our forever.” You mewl, momentarily forgetting the crowd of people that surrounds you. 

“I could never, darling.” Cedric drawls, chest heaving as he brushes stray hairs away from your cheeks. “My love for you won’t let me forget it.”


	8. Epilogue

The next few days, the final in the school year, are strange, to say the least. Voldemort is back, or so Harry Potter says. The school is divided on whether or not to believe him. Some people think that Harry used Unforgivable Curses on Cedric, and not Wormtail. Cedric attests to Voldemort’s revival, which made most people inclined to believe Harry. 

Viktor has not been thrown in Azkaban for his use of the Cruciatus Curse, due to him being under Imperio. Mad-Eye Moody has been revealed to be Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise all along.  
Eventually, Mrs. Diggory did show up. She’s horrified to hear Cedric’s near-death experience. She apologizes for not being there. Cedric introduces you to her as his girlfriend. 

Alice and Noelle tell you that they are spending the summer together, in Noelle’s hometown in France. Noelle begins to spend nights in your dormitory teaching Alice some French words. Alice tells you that she plans on proposing on their one year anniversary in December. She knows it’s soon, but with the return of Voldemort, she wants to be married as fast as possible. You have confidence that Noelle will say yes. 

For the past three days, all you’ve been telling Cedric is how scared you were and how grateful you are that he’s okay. You’re constantly kissing him and telling him how much you love him.   
Cedric convinces you to tell Dumbledore what happened between you and Alexander. The whole time, you shake and hold back tears, but Cedric is there. Alice and Noelle came to your defense as well. Dumbledore believes your story. Dumbledore assures you that Igor Karkaroff will be notified, and Alexander will not be graduating Durmstrang. A weight is lifted off your shoulders.  
On a further note, Fred and George, of whom you’ve never been too good of friends with, decided to work with Cedric to expose him for the disgusting human being he is and show the whole school just that. They plaster papers along every expanse of wall they could find, the poster brandishing a bold, 

WANTED:   
ALEXANDER BALAN FOR BEING AN OVERALL DISGUSTING HUMAN BEING  
BEWARE OF THIS BEAST AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! HE BITES!

Unfortunately, the tiny one-years who come too close to said posters are met with a snarling bear that practically jumps out at them.   
Graduation for you remains the same. You pack your things, excited to spend your summer with Cedric. You sail on the boats across the Black Lake, hand-in-hand with Cedric, taking a look back at Hogwarts for one final time. The stars above wink down at you, telling you that your hard times with Cedric are over.   
All is well.


End file.
